Improvement in pipe wrench or tongs



E. D..BA'RRETT.- Pipe-Wrench or Tongs.

No. 197,756. Patented Dec. 4, 1,877.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

' EDWARD D. BARRETT, OF SOUTHINGTON, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF HIS RIGHT TO J. B. SAVAGE, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN PIPE WRENCH OR TONGS.

Specification forming part of LettersPatcnt No. 197,766, dated December 4, .1877; application filed' July 18, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD D. BARRETT,-

1 a side elevation of a pipefiwrench or tongs which embodies my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation'of detached parts of the same. Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the part shown in Fig. 3, taken on line as a, and Fig 5is a transverse section of the parts shown in Fig. 2, taken on lines y 3 A designates the bar, provided with the usual hooked outer end or head B, said bar being shown separately in Fig. 2. The sides of this bar between its head and handle end are 1ongitudinally grooved or recessed, above which grooves are laterally-projecting ribs or waysa a, the under sides of which are dovetailed or hooked under, as shown in Fig. 5. The sides of this bar are groovedfor thepnrpose of form- .ing the ribs or ways a a without having them project laterally beyond the sides of the bar proper, all as shown in Fig. 5. A sliding block, C, is fitted to slide freely upon the ways a a, said block being shaped in cross-section to correspond to that of the bar and ways, as shown 1 in Fig. 5 and to this sliding block the lever D is hinged by means of a knuckle joint, so that the circular edges of Y the knuckles fit each other and relieve the pintle k of severe strain.

A lug, E, is fitted upon the bar by engagement with said ways, and pinned in place at their outer ends, as shown in Fig. 1. Ascrew, F passes through said lug and into a threaded hole in the sliding block C, said screw being secured from longitudinal movement by means of a collar, b, on the inside of said lug, and a knurled head, 0, on the outside of saidlug,whereby the turning of the screw will move the block C onits ways. Puttingthe knurled head point. directlynnder th ecenter of the knuckle-p or lifting strain. V p

In order to accommodatea block whose base joint, so as to firmly support it from all upward thus extends inward, and for the purpose of extra strength and compactness, the bar D is of a peculiar form, to wit, with two distinct arms standing nearly at right angles to each other, the longer arm extending along by the sides of the bar A, and the shorter transverse arm crossing it, as shown in Fig. 1. The shorter transverse arm is wholly forward or inside (except the knuckles of the joint) of the center of motion, thereby making room for the base of the sliding block before described.

This lever surrounds or partially incloses the bar'A, which passes through it not only at the transverse short arm, but, for a portion of the long arm, flanges d d extend upward each side of the bar, giving the lever 'great strength, without making it project far beyond the bar A, the two flanges d I! being connected at the bottom in one solid piece of metal, making the lever in transverse section substantially in U- form.

The transverse arm of thelever D is formed merely by making the flanges d 01 extend farther up at the ends, and two knuckles, c c, of the joint are formed on said flanges. Between these flanges d d at their upper ends is a block, f, firmly riveted in place, and the side of said block which comes opposite the part or knuckle g, Fig. 2, of the joint is made in circular form,

to fit the circular edge of said knuckle g.-

When this end .of the lever D is thus completed, the ordinary knife or chisel jaw k may be secured therein in any proper manner.

The device is adjusted to gripe difl'erent sizes ofpipes or rods by means of the screw F changing the position of the sliding block on the bar A. The lever D turns on the pintle k, Fig. 1,

to grasp and release the pipe .or rod in the ordinary manner, but with superior strength, by

reason of the knuckle-j oint relieving the pin of the severe strain, the compact and yet strong form of the longitudinally-recessed lever and V the joint being directly connected to the bar I and finished when separate than it could be if the lever was all formed of one piece.

By making the under side of the. ways hooked or dovetailed under, as shown, there is no tendency to spread out the sides of the slidingblock, as there would be in alike-formed block open at the base and fitted on ways without such hooked under sides.

If desired, a flat-faced jaw, instead of the chisel-faced jaw k, may be placed in end of lever D, when the tool is converted into a powerful wrench for griping nuts or bolt-heads to turn them.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination, in a pipe-wrench, of the following instrumentalities, viz first, the bar A B, provided with longitudinal depressions in its sides, and the ways aa above said depressions running parallel to the main direction of said bar; second, the lever 1), having flanges d d crossing the bar A, one on each side, at a point wholly forward of the pintle k, and provided with the knuckles e 6 formed on the said flanges; third, the sliding block C,

provided with knuckle g and hung to the knuckles of the lever D; also provided with a female screw-thread and fitted to slide on the ways a a of the bar A; fourth, the lug E, also fitted to said ways a a and secured from longitudinal movement thereon; and fifth,the screw F passing through the lug E, in which it is secured so as to revolve but not move longitudinally, andwith its opposite end engaging the female thread in the sliding block 0, substantially as described, and for the purpose specified. i

2. In a pipe-wrench, the lever I), provided with longitudinal flanges d d, making partof the lever U-shaped, and extending upward at the end of said U-shaped portion to form the short cross-arm of said lever and the two knuckles c c, in combination with the block f, secured between the ends of said flanges and provided with the circular depression on the side, which matches the knuckle g of the block, to which the lever is hung, substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

3. In a pipe-wrench, the longitudinal ways a a on bar B, provided with dovetailed under sides, substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

EDWARD D. BARRETT.

Witnesses:

JULIUS B. SAVAGE, M. H. HoLcoMB. 

